Apsara
by Stormborn Dragneel
Summary: Lucy guards the doorways between worlds with her spirits as the Celestial Guardian, watching over doorways to hundreds of worlds in seclusion. Natsu's brother, the Demon King Zeref, wants to break into the Earthly worlds to wreak havoc & sends Natsu to kill the Guardian. Can Lucy get through to the demon? Lucy is unlike any creature Natsu has met before, can he change for her? NaLu
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Welcome too my new story! This was actually an Idea for an original story but I thought it would fit perfectly for NaLu. It's an AU and will be rated for language, violence and mature themes and maybe more later. This will be a LONG story, updated every five days. Please review! I don't have a beta so forgive any typos! I'm in a need of a cover if anyone is interested in making one._

 ** _Apsara_**

Act 1

Chapter 1 - Aster

 _Aster- a diverse flower that ranges in colors from red, blue, pink, purple and white, it symbolizes unexpected surprises. It blooms in fall when many other flowers begin to die._

Lucy woke to a searing pain on her left forearm, pulling her from a deep and dreamless sleep.

Shaking, she looked at her pale arm, a molten light burned there, Lucy watched as it faded into a silver marking.

" _Scutum_ ," Lucy whispered in recognition and wonder, her voice sounded strange to her own ears, having never spoken to any other living soul before.

She recognized the symbol for _Scutum,_ in the language of the stars it was the constellation of the shield.

Lucy had never heard of a Celestial Maiden receiving any other marks besides the Golden Thirteen Zodiac Spirits and the one silver marking the rested on her other wrist, _Ara,_ the altar. Her slim fingers rose to trace the golden symbols marking her clavicles, her hand stopped to rest on the hollow of her throat where _Leo_ the Lion lay, hoping the King of Spirits would grant her strength. His golden marking pulsed under her fingertips in a different rhythm than her heart.

Lucy rose from her mound of pillows and furs on the floors, heading into the main chamber of her home, lighting the floating lanterns as she went.

Lanterns were her only light source, besides the doors and the stars themselves. The Gateway had no ceiling, the dark night sky hung overhead, blanketed in golden stars, pinpricks of planets and dancing comets and falling meteors all decorated the endless night.

Her eyes were adjusted to the half light, having known nothing else. The comfortable pillows and white furs that she called her bed, was down a small hallway off of the main main chamber.

The small hallway contained a few smaller doors to dimensions, a frozen door covered in black geometric patterns, a circular wooden door painted in chipping green paint, a golden and tall door that ended in a point carved with flowers, if she looked close enough at that one she could see a stairway between the gaps in the carvings. Where it led, she had no idea but she liked letting her mind wander, making up a story for it. There were a dozen small hallways just like this that had similar doors.

Today, she swept past the small hallway and into the main chamber where the Five Great Gates stood, the largest of all the doors. Under the night sky, they stood erect, free of the stone wall that surrounded the large chamber, if one were to walk behind them they appeared to be normal slabs of rectangular marble but facing their front each was composed of a unique shape and material. Their marble backs were beautiful in the half light, making the milky stone practically give off a ghostly glow.

A few lanterns floated in the air, shivering and edging towards her as she moved across the incredibly large room. Urns filled with white flowers were scattered across the room.

She avoided the cracked wooden door that oozed an inky black substance, the door exuded evil and she tried not to even look at it if she could.

Instead, Lucy walked to where she kept her few precious books, between her two favorite gates. One she had dubbed the heavenly door, made entirely of rainbow stained glass that gave off a rainbow light on the stone floor. If she sat close enough to it, she could hear soft music coming from it. When she peered through the frosted glass she could even make out the blurry shapes of dancing beings.

The other she called the fairy door, a frosted glass door with one half covered in a wooden tree carving and the other in a wooden stag with a fairy floating above it making up the carving, some of the wood appeared to be so old that it had petrified. Sounds of merriment came through the door, muffled sounds of laughter and fast-paced music. The laughter was contagious and Lucy couldn't help but join in sometimes even if she wasn't in on the joke.

The doors didn't truly have names but Lucy loved to name them and categorize them, she hoped to one day write them into one of the books for a future celestial guardian to call them by.

Lucy sat on the cold stone and looked through the pile of thick tomes she had stacked on the floor. She set them aside until she found the largest one bound in dark blue. She flipped through the pages until she found the page of Guardian Markings, she traced the zodiac markings fondly, recognizing them as the ones on her upper chest even though she didn't have a mirror. All thirteen were listed and below was _Ara_ the altar that brought her food, the silver marking on her right forearm.

The book said in times past the spirits had been used as weapons to fight off people who dared try to enter the Gateway.

Lucy had never seen or spoken to another living soul, her term as guardian had been peaceful, as had many of the guardians before her, so many that quite a few of them hadn't bothered writing anything in the books but had their name on the wall of listed guardians.

Lucy wasn't sure how long she had been a guardian or if she had been anything before that, she had woken in the center of the large chamber as a young girl, already marked in silver and gold, the first thing she saw had been the night sky.

Lonely, she practiced summoning the spirits as friends and companions, her most frequent being _Virgo_ who liked to summon herself upon occasion, she was a rose-colored ghostly visage with no discernable shape, she didn't speak but was a comforting presence, _Aquarius_ acted as a motherly spirit, summoning herself when Lucy would forgo her chores to stare up at the sky, making Lucy feel her disapproval emanating from her light blue effervescence.

Another frequent visitor was _Leo,_ who enjoyed acting as her guardian, he also liked to summon himself to watch over her and often did so to stand over her while she was sleeping, a silent vigil.

She often told the golden ghostly specter that she was perfectly safe in the Gateway and he needn't waste his time but he never listened. She called him a he because he was the only one who seemed to have some semblance of shape, a male silhouette. She wasn't even sure how she _knew_ what a man was but she did.

She had added these encounters to the books since it seemed none of the other guardians past had taken the time to summon the spirits as friends rather than tools to be used as weapons. Lucy hoped after her term as guardian passed that the next guardians would continue to view them as companions.

Lucy absently traced the symbol for _Scutum_ while she looked up at the sky. She found _Scutum,_ nestled in the sky under _Altair_ and above _Sagittarius_ and _Antares._

The books said in times of strife past, guardians had blossomed in multiples, more than one female to guard the gate. But she was one lone guardian, she was in no danger.

But the book also said in times of dire need a guardian would develop new tattoos.

She examined her left wrist again, it was still tender and pulsed with a new heartbeat different than her own beneath the silvery shield.

Nothing came out when she tried to summon it like her other spirits.

Lucy glanced at the three other doors in the large chamber, from the damaged and oozing door, to the door made of a large, spiky mass of quartz with the black door knocker but no handle to the wrought iron door that glowed with a molten red and orange light that exuded heat.

Frowning, she wondered what troubles were ahead for her and if she and her friends were strong enough.

Natsu's legs bounced as he sat in another of his elder brother's war councils, he had a hard time staying still and he knew Zeref did it on purpose, to unnerve him, to gain the advantage.

Not long ago, Zeref had killed their father Igneel, taking his place as the King of Hell.

Their father was a Draconic demon, the most powerful subspecies of demon. Despite his immense powers, the eldest Dragneel had brokered a peace treaty with the other worlds, closing Hell and its demonic denizens from entering any living worlds.

Of course there were exceptions, such as being summoned by someone into the world through dark magics.

Zeref had many human patrons that spread his will amongst the living world, filling him with power and strong magic.

Natsu was occasionally summoned but wasn't too bothered by influencing dumb humans, his power coming from sheer strength and will rather than the sneaky way.

Their father had been a kind and just leader, loved by his subjects, well as much as a demon could love in their skewed way. Natsu liked to think they respected his father if not feared him.

When Zeref had murdered their father, he became the new Demon King as per the law, still a civil war had broken out, demanding Natsu be the new king.

Natsu was his father's heir after all, the only one of the two sons to be a Draconic demon like their father, the son his father's long dead true mate.

Zeref, the elder brother was the son of a powerful human sorceress who had summoned Igneel and brokered a contract for the Demon King to impregnate her as long as the resulting child came to live with him when the child turned eighteen. A halfling bastard had no legal claim to the throne and Igneel had sensed a darkness in Zeref early on, avoiding him at all costs.

This had all happened before Natsu was born and beyond that he wasn't sure of his half brother's story.

Zeref didn't inherit any demonic traits beyond being able to be summoned and being immortal. He didn't have horns or fangs, he couldn't take on Draconic features like scaled claws that blended into his skin or scaled wings that grew from his back. He couldn't even become a full dragon, like Natsu and Igneel could.

Overall, the elder Dragneel appeared very frail and human.

His skin was pale and he wasn't as tall nor muscled as Natsu or Igneel.

Nonetheless, his brother had quickly squashed the rebellion, since Natsu wasn't interested in being king of anything and without his support they had lost.

Natsu was only interested in what Draconic demons or Drakes for short usually loved; battle, food, revelry and treasure.

Zeref always laughed at his lack of ambition.

Natsu hated his brother for his ambition, his ambition had gotten their father killed after all. Patricide and matricide were very common amongst demons but Natsu had truly loved and admired their father.

Now he was stuck serving his brother, who wanted to take over all the dimensions. Natsu supposed he could kill his brother but in a way he loved him too. Natsu wasn't interested in mindless killing.

At first, many of the stronger and elder demons had scoffed at being led by a half-demon, son of a lowly contractor. But after hearing Zeref claim that he considered Igneel's treaty null and void with his death, that they would soon return to the earthly worlds once more, he had gained their complete support. Many were old enough to remember once wreaking havoc in the other worlds. They yearned to go back and burn and destroy and devour and rape as they once did.

Natsu didn't see the fun in fighting and hurting someone weaker than him, his subspecies got stronger with every powerful opponent they defeated, he loved to fight creatures on his level. Hurting something innocent didn't sit right with him.

He didn't know much about humans except the silver haired human girl who once summoned him, at first as a playmate and eventually a lover. The sickly girl hadn't been long for the world and passed on, moving onto wherever those with a good heart went when they died. He didn't remember her name. If all humans were as frail as she, Zeref's war would be over quickly and brutally.

"Answer him, dammit," Achnologia's growl drew Natsu from his thoughts and he stared blankly at the other Draconic demon. The long white-haired Drake was his brother's general and had been at Zeref's side as long as Natsu could remember.

The older Drake had never liked Natsu and Natsu liked to think it was because he could kick his ass.

Natsu also knew being ignored drive the other demon insane.

Achnologia kept badgering him but Natsu kept his face blank and bored, not responding.

"If you're done torturing Achnologia, I was telling you something of great importance, Natsu," Zeref chided from the other end of the large table they sat at.

Natsu snickered and grinned, "Yeah, yeah, what do you want now?"

"We have selected you for a very important mission, Natsu," An encouraging small smile played at his brother's lips and Natsu perked up in his seat.

"What is it? " Natsu grinned, ready for anything, "Can I leave now?"

The demons at the table chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"Yes actually you can, we may have found an alternate route to the earthly worlds, through a place called the Celestial Gateway, we want to send you through to kill the Guardian the presides over the gate," Zeref smiled.

"Killing this Guardian huh? They sound powerful, consider me in! Can I go now?" Natsu was really bouncing in his seat now, excited for what was sure to be a strong opponent.

"Now of course," Zeref placed his hand on the table and a black magic circle appeared, "Just stand in the magical circle and I'll send you through."

Natsu didn't need to be told twice, shifting from his human-like form into his half form, horns, claws and wings, ready to fight this guardian. He hopped from his seat into the magical circle, he flickered for a moment before disappearing in a swirl of black magic.

"Master, do you think he'll be successful?" Achnologia asked, watching the magic circle fade from the table, leaving a scorch mark in the wood.

Zeref laughed, "If the trip didn't kill him, the Guardian surely will."

After staring at her mark awhile longer, Lucy had gone back to bed. She always had problems falling asleep and started at the sky for some time. Layers of furs composed the bottom of her bed, no matter how many she laid down, the chill of the cold stone floor always managed to seep through. Nothing she could do could warm her, even cocooning herself in furs but she managed to eventually fall back into the dreamless sleep that had been interrupted earlier.

 _Crash!_

Lucy didn't know what had woken her this time.

It sure wasn't pain.

The sounds of metal crashing bounced off the stone walls again and Lucy jumped, now completely awake.

She had never heard a sound besides her own voice before. At least not one this loud.

Lucy jumped out of her bed of furs, a door was being opened!

Someone was invading the gateway!

Her heart pounded hard in her chest, her stomach in her throat. What was she going to do?

She ran down the hall, ready to fight to the death.

 ** _Please review! Tell me what you think!_**


	2. UPDATE

Hey guys, I've been MIA on here for awhile because i had been going through som terrible depression. Someone gave me the advice to try and write an original story to help dig myself out of my sadness by writing the craziest story I could. I did just that. It will be coming out on Amazon on Marh 31st. It's called Dragon Gladiators and my name is Zara Stark. I hope I still have some fans here that want to try it out. You can pre-order it now. I'm busy working on the sequel of it now. Thank you guys for always supporting me.


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